St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-06
TEEE GHA1N RATE wAR.
A Matter of vital Importance TO
minneapolfs Milling Interests.

A Matter of vital importance TO
minGeapOlfg Milling Interests.
The object Of the meeting of the traffic
managers ON Monday has at length devel-
Oped, and the indications are there is very
pretty and decidedly interesting war in
grain rates on hand. 1t is q matter of the
highest interest TO Minneapolis especially.
and the deep concern felt was manifest in
the furry and anxiety at the chamber of
commerce Yesterday. The points OF the
difficulty primarily are concisely stated by
the Market Record. as follows:
The Manitoba road has been hauling heat
to Duluth ut the same rate it charged to haul
1t to Minneapolis. the latter distance from
the points of loading it being much shorter
than from the same points to Duluth. Even
from points about Gienwood the rates were
made the same to Minneapolis as to Duluth,
with but little more than half the distance to
reach Minneapolis. The Minneapolis & Pa
chic, running, as II does, parallel TO the
Northern Pacific aud to both lines OF the
Manitoba, and between them until il reaches
Elbow Lake. must make the same rate us tue
Manitoba and Northern Pacific or create dis
turbance between competing points on The
different systems. The Min ca polls s. Pacific
on opening its new line a few days ago made
a rate from Minneapolis to GlenwoOd and be-
You'd 4 cents below the ate of the Northern
Pacific and Manitoba from competing stations
to Duluth graduating down its scale of
charges east Of GlenwoCd to Minneapolis
West of Elbow Lake the Minneapolis s. Pa
citic crosses the Breckenridge division of the
Manitoba, but continuing between branches
Of both the Manitoba and Northern Pa
ci1c is master of the situation,
making 80 cent lower rate to Min
neapolis than the Others quote to
Duluth. In order to effect a compromise the
officials OF the Northern Pacific say they will
allow small diiferentfal in favor of Mime
apolis, but the cent or so per 100 pounds
they would name is not so much as the actual
position demands, and will not be accepted
by the Minneapolis & Pacific. The Manitoba
would concede nothing. The Manitoba and
Northern Pacific are invading with branch
lines the country that had been occupied by
the Milwaukee St. Paul and the Chicago &
Northwestern roads in Dakota. The Miune-
apolis & Pacific reaching out in the same
direction, involves all these systems in the
contention. These Chicago roads express
sympathy with the action OF the MINNEAPOLIS
Pacific, and will undoubtedly stand by the
latter in the fight for Minneapolis dtferen-
tial equal 10 its shorter haul from the section
in dispute. The hostile acton of the Mani
toba road to Minneapolis and st. Paul as in
dicated by their present attitude, originated
In the invasion of what they regarded as
their territors by the Milwaukee and North
western roads. In their struggle for posses
sion they met IN sections that are nearer to
Minneapolis than to any other terminal
point, and all Minneapolis demands is the
advantages her position naturally entitle her
to- and these the attitude OF the Minneapolis
& Pacific leads her TO expect.
Further explanation is necessary to those
not familiar with the points involved: The
wheat market at Duluth will average
cents above the market at Minneapolis for
various reasons not necessary to enumer-
ate. Consequently, with freight rates the
same all wheat would po ia Duluth as tha
higher market. If the Manitoba and North
ern Pacific, the only roads with Duluth
connections shall haul to Duluth, one-third
farther, for the same rates as to 'iinneapo-
lis, they would get all the grain. The Min
neapolis 81 Pacific holds the key to the stu
alton. Gen. Washburn, who controls the
Minneapolis Il Pacific, is miller and will,
of course. operate his line in the interest of
the milling business. Accordingly he makes
rate to Minneapolis always as much be-
low the Duluth rate as the Duluth market
is above the Minneapolis market. From
GlenwoOd. for instance, where the rate is
IA cents, the Minneapolis IL Pacific makes
it 1917 cents, the result is that that road
will get the haul. as shippers will take the
81 cent reduction rather than the cent
advance in wheat at Duluth. Col. Rogers,
who is about as thoroughly posted as pos
sible. said yesterday:
/ think the Minneapolis s Pacific will win,
as everything is in its favor. II has the
straightest line and the least eiabo g system
can better afford to meet and continue the cuts
than either OF the others. l should not be
surprised if the result would be to establish
transit rates through Mi neapolis and Du-
luth. The entire difficulty grew out Of the
invasion by other roads of the territory the
Manitoba called its own.